Self-assembly model, hepatocytes attachment and inflammatory response for silk fibroin/chitosan scaffolds

Abstract

Silk fibroin is an attractive natural fibrous protein for biomedical application due to its good biocompatibility and high tensile strength. Silk fibroin is apt to form a sheet-like structure during the freeze-drying process, which is not suitable for the scaffold of tissue engineering. In our former study, the adding of chitosan promoted the self-assembly of silk fibroin/chitosan (SFCS) into a three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous porous structure. In this study, a model of the self-assembly is proposed; furthermore, hepatocytes attachment and inflammatory response for the SFCS scaffold were examined. The rigid chain of chitosan may be used as a template for beta-sheet formation of silk fibroin, and this may break the sheet structure of the silk fibroin scaffold and promote the formation of a 3D porous structure of the SFCS scaffold. Compared with the polylactic glycolic acid scaffold, the SFCS scaffold further facilitates the attachment of hepatocytes. To investigate the inflammatory response, SFCS scaffolds were implanted into the greater omentum of rats. From the results of implantation, we could demonstrate in vivo that the implantation of SFCS scaffolds resulted in only slight inflammation. Keeping the good histocompatibility and combining the advantages of both fibroin and chitosan, the SFCS scaffold could be a prominent candidate for soft tissue engineering, for example, in the liver.

Silk hydrogel for cartilage tissue engineering

“…We recently demonstrated long‐term stability and biocompatibility of silk scaffolds in vivo 10. Subsequently, silk and silk‐composite materials have been examined in vivo for many systems, including bone11–13 and soft tissue 14, 15. Silk materials consistently initiate little to no inflammatory or immune response in these animal studies.…”

Simulation of ECM with silk and chitosan nanocomposite materials

“…At 28 days after implantation, only about 60% of the nanofibrous scaffolds were occupied by tissue ingrowth, but more than 80% of the SF4-C, SF6-C and SF8-C scaffolds were filled with new tissue. Therefore, compared to previously reported SF-CS scaffolds, 69,70,74 the present findings suggest that biocompatibility could be improved using ECM simulation, including composition and nanostructure. The new strategy offers improved biomaterial systems because of the control of the biomaterial microenvironment.…”

Biopolymers in Medical Implants

“…A bioartificial liver was developed from chitosan/collagen/heparin composite which showed good blood compatibility (Wang et al 2005a). Homogenous porous silk fibroin/chitosan was developed which also supported hepatocyte attachment (She et al 2009). Furthermore there are also reports on galactosylated and fructose conjugated chitosan biopolymer for liver tissue regeneration.…”